Sheriff Michael Ashe: 'The office belongs not to me, but to the people of Hampden County'

10-20-09-Springfield-Staff Photo by Dave Roback-hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe speaks to the overflow crowd at Western New England College's Rivers Memorial Building where the Safe Neighborhood crime prevention program was held on Tuesday. See Story.Dave Roback

Below is the statement he released to The Republican and MassLive.com:

I am announcing this evening that I shall not be a candidate for re-election to the office of Sheriff of Hampden County when my current term expires in 2016.

The reason for this decision is simple: Although I am still gifted with good health and plenty of energy, my time of life has come to step aside and let those who come after me have the high honor of serving as sheriff.

The chief responsibility of a county sheriff in Massachusetts is to administer that county’s Jail and House of Correction, and over nearly four decades, I have worked my hardest to establish and maintain a county correctional system that is safe, secure, orderly, accountable, humane, honest, balanced and sensible. I have sought to bring an energized, innovative and positive approach to the field of corrections, a field that has traditionally been too often associated with lifelessness, resignation and negativity. Twenty-four consecutive American Correctional Association audit scores of 95% or higher, “A+ grades”, if you will, have served for me as objective verification that we succeeded in serving our citizens well.

Throughout it all, I have sought to be guided by genuineness, respect for others, integrity and humility.

By announcing my non-candidacy midway through my term, I want to give those who contemplate seeking to succeed me the time not just to mount a political campaign, but more importantly to steep themselves in learning the real work of administering a corrections department. In doing so, I am trying to help assure that the process of selecting a new sheriff is about public service, not just about politics.

Perhaps the most important thing that I can say today is that I will make myself available in the months ahead to all who are considering seeking the office of sheriff, regardless of party affiliation or non-affiliation, to acquaint them with what I have learned on the job.

I have chosen no so-called “anointed successor”, because it is not my place to do so. No matter how long it has been my honor to serve as Sheriff, the office belongs not to me, but to the people of Hampden County.

Of course, after nearly forty years of pouring my heart and soul into the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, I am far from a disinterested party as regards its future. If the time comes when I believe that a candidate or candidates has distinguished himself, herself or themselves by their grasp and vision and passion and capabilities for the job, I would consider making that belief known to those who would be interested in what I think. It is not hard for me to imagine that, in the meantime, I may be asked by a number of people who have worked with, and supported me, over the years for my thoughts on the race. I will advise them to “stay open” like I will, and let those who will seek the office not just demonstrate their political acumen and ambition, but, more importantly, the ideas and abilities that they would bring to the job. I will advise them to make their decision whom to support down the line. Because of the timing of this announcement, there will be plenty of time to do so.

Likewise, if I believe that there might be an erroneous impression, purposely created or not, that I am supporting a candidate, I will move swiftly and surely to eradicate that perception. This includes a misconception of a candidate’s relationship to me or a misconception that because I spoke kindly of a candidate in the past when he or she ran for, or held, another office, I am supporting them for the office of sheriff. The office of sheriff brings with it its own set of required understandings and skills.

I will also watch closely to assure that those seeking to lead the Sheriff’s Department in the future fully respect the professional accomplishment and well-being of those who work at the department.

There are too many people who have supported me and worked beside me over the years to begin to thank them all in this announcement. To all of them, I offer my profound and undying gratitude.

I do want to acknowledge my closest working partner, my brother Jay Ashe, who after attaining a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Boston College, gave up a promising career in youth services in Connecticut to answer my plea to join me in building the national model of correctional programming that we have put in place.

I want to thank deeply my wife Barbara, who has been my rudder and the wind at my sails since we first met as high school freshmen sixty years ago, and who has always encouraged in me the highest standards of honor and integrity in both my public and private life.

To my children, I want to say that I have always sought to conduct myself so that they would have the priceless legacy of our good name, and I believe that I have kept faith with that determination.

Finally, and most importantly, I want to thank the people of Hampden County, who have given me their trust for these many years. I have worked hard to deserve that trust. I shall not let up one bit for the remainder of my term. There will be no coasting for me. That is not my way. Instead, I shall sprint with a high kick to the finish line, seeking to end my service as sheriff on the highest of notes, continuing to strive daily to be the sheriff that the people of this county so richly deserve.